Punjab Floods: Death Toll Rises To 46, Crop On 1.75 Lakh Hectares Damaged

The death toll due to the devastating floods in Punjab has gone up to 46, while crops on 1.75 lakh hectares of land have been damaged in the deluge, officials said on Saturday.

Relief-and-rescue operations by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Army, Border Security Force, Punjab Police and district authorities are underway on a war footing, they added.

Punjab is facing one of its worst floods in decades. The floods are a result of swollen rivers, such as the Sutlej, Beas and Ravi, along with seasonal rivulets, following heavy rainfall in their catchment areas in Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir.

Besides, heavy rains in Punjab in recent days have intensified the situation, aggravating the challenges faced by residents.

The water level in the Pong dam marginally dipped to 1,394.19 feet on Saturday, though it remained four feet above its upper limit of 1,390 feet, the officials said.

The water level in the dam was 1,394.8 feet on Friday evening.

The water inflow also declined to 47,162 cusecs from 99,673 cusecs on Friday, while the outflow remained unchanged at 99,673 cusecs, according to the officials.

In case of the Bhakra dam, the water level was 1,678.14 feet as against 1,678.47 feet on Friday. The water inflow in the dam, built on the Sutlej river, stood at 62,481 cusecs and the outflow was 52,000 cusecs, the officials said.

Describing the floods as the worst in five decades, state Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said relentless rainfall in Punjab and neighbouring hill states have triggered widespread devastation, affecting almost 2,000 villages across all districts.

More than 3.87 lakh citizens have been impacted, with 46 reported deaths, according to the latest bulletin on the floods.

Forty-three deaths were reported from 14 districts between August 1 and September 5.

A total of 1,996 villages in 23 districts have been affected due to the floods.

The highest number of deaths has been reported from Hoshiarpur and Amritsar (seven each), followed by Pathankot (six), Barnala (five), Ludhiana and Bathinda (four each), Mansa (three), Gurdaspur, Rupnagar and SAS Nagar (two each), while one death each has been reported from Patiala, Sangrur, Fazilka and Ferozepur.

Three persons are missing in Pathankot.

Meanwhile, a 50-year-old man from Talli Gulam village in Ferozepur district was killed after being swept away by strong currents in a swollen river.

The district has been witnessing dangerously high water levels and persistent flooding over the last few days, making life difficult for villagers living along vulnerable stretches, the officials said.

The flood-related data is for the period starting from August 1 till September 6.

So far, 22,854 people have been evacuated from the affected areas, the officials said.

Cheema said the farm sector, a cornerstone of the state's economy, has suffered extensive damage in 18 districts.

Additionally, infrastructure, houses and livestock have sustained significant losses. The Ghaggar river's water level has also surpassed its danger mark of 750 feet, Cheema said.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in the state has responded to the unprecedented floods with prompt action and empathy, he added.

The minister emphasised the need for accountability and support from the BJP-led Centre, stressing that the crisis demands a collaborative response rather than 'political opportunism'.

Cheema said despite the scale of destruction, the Punjab government has mounted a swift and coordinated response.

Around 200 relief camps have been set up across the state, sheltering more than 7,000 displaced people, he added.

Rescue-and-relief operations are being carried out by 24 teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and two of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), supported by 144 boats.

Punjab minister Aman Arora slammed Union minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Saturday for blaming illegal mining in rivers for the flooding, saying BJP leaders visit flood-hit areas for 'photo-ops' instead of announcing financial aid for the state.

Accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of discriminating against Punjab, the AAP said Chouhan did not announce 'even a penny' for flood assistance, despite the state government seeking the payment of its 'pending' Rs 60,000 crore with the Centre.

AAP's Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh reviewed the flood-hit areas at Sultanpur Lodhi in Kapurthala district.

He visited the affected areas at Mand Inderpur and interacted with residents.

Singh assured the people that the AAP government is standing by them with full strength and determination in this difficult time.